Comparing the effectiveness of CBM treatment and TACS treatment on anxiety, depression, attentional bias, and craving in individuals with opioid use disorder attending addiction treatment camps

Abstract Introduction: Substance abuse, especially of opium, represents a major challenge in modern societies, not only impacting individuals' physical and mental health but also giving rise to social problems. Objective This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of two treatment methods, CBM (Cognitive Bias Modification) and TACS (Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation), on reducing anxiety, depression, attentional bias, and craving in individuals with opioid use disorder. Methods This study was an experimental research with a pre-test and post-test design. The participants of this study were 72 individuals attending addiction treatment camps who were systematically selected and divided into four treatment groups: CBM treatment, TACS treatment, a combination of both methods, and a control group. Data on demographics were collected using a demographic baseline form of substance abusers, to measure verbal craving induction and visual linear craving scale, and for current craving assessment, a substance craving questionnaire was used, while anxiety and depression levels of participants were measured using the anxiety and depression scale. Results The results of the study showed that both treatment methods significantly reduced anxiety and depression. Moreover, the combined CBM and TACS treatment had a greater impact on modifying attentional bias and reducing substance craving compared to each treatment method alone. Furthermore, the comparison between CBM and TACS methods did not show a significant difference in current or induced craving scales (p > 0.05). However, a significant difference was observed in cognitive bias modification (p = 0.012), depression (p = 0.002), and anxiety (p = 0.03) between the simultaneous transcranial electric stimulation and cognitive bias modification. Discussion These findings suggest that using a combination of treatment methods can have more efficacy in improving mental health status and reducing substance craving in individuals with opioid dependence.